Optimized Regional Operations Plan (OROP)

With water from two river sources, reservoir storage, desalinated seawater and groundwater, Tampa Bay Water has a complex system that requires a flexible operating plan that meets demand and protects the environment, ensures reliability and minimizes cost.

Our operating protocol guides the agency in selecting water sources to meet the members’ demands for safe, clean, affordable water while ensuring environmental sustainability.

The Optimized Regional Operations Plan (OROP) is a vital part of our Decision Support System that uses forecasted surface water flows, current groundwater level conditions and rainfall data to determine how to rotate production among available supplies to meet demands in an environmentally sound manner.

This tool ensures water demand for the tri-county region can be met with minimal adverse environmental impacts by using sophisticated computer models to analyze and forecast groundwater conditions at water supply facilities. Based on continual field monitoring and these forecasts, water production can be rotated or adjusted to avoid ecological harm.